Butterflies and Tornadoes
by Cutieqtpie
Summary: Chapter 14 - Eric returns...Abby has a minor meltdown...thankfully carter's there to support her :-D
1. Default Chapter

Tonight's episode has made me want to have a dysfunctional life so that I can grow up, work in an ER, meet the man of my dreams but be dating a psychofreak, and then have a smallpox outbreak clear out the ER so my dream man and I can get it on for 2 weeks solid. I'm giving serious thought to becoming an alcoholic. LOL! Just kidding! But I do want to be a nurse.not just because I want to be Abby.but because I already have the scrubs! Ha! I'm in such a good mood now! There are no words to describe tonight's episode because basically, it was just perfect. The whole Romano situation was handled beautifully, and I wouldn't have wanted my two favorite characters getting together any other way. So, I started this story at about 11:08, soon after I came down from jumping off the walls!  
  
None of these characters belong to me. If they did, I would incorporate myself into the show and steal Carter away from Abby. But if I can't have him, I want her to because even though she isn't half the woman I am.she knows how to treat my man, and I respect that.  
  
Please remember that it is late and I'm really tired.this is only the first chapter. The next part will be posted sometime Friday. Good night!!!  
  
Three hours later, Abby giggled as she sat up in bed. The person lying next to her sat up quickly as well and kissed her neck. Abby wrapped her arms around his neck as they collapsed back on the bed.  
  
"You know, we should go out and celebrate." John smiled.  
  
"Celebrate what? The fact that we are finally out of that god forsaken ER after two weeks?" Abby rolled her eyes.  
  
"No," John dragged out then smiled. "The fact that "we" are a we."  
  
"We are?" Abby said innocently.  
  
"Oh yes. I think what we've done in the past 14 days has definitely qualified us for we status." Carter ran his fingers down the length of her arm.  
  
"Uch, I need a shower."  
  
"That's what you have to say?"  
  
"Well we can go out. After I have a shower." Abby smiled and rolled out of bed. John grabbed her arms though and pulled her back in for a long passionate kiss.  
  
"Have I mentioned I like you as a blonde?"  
  
"Well I always knew you had a thing for blondes, so I figured this would really get you going." Abby smiled seductively and really did get out of the bed this time. She rooted around her bedroom until she found her robe and slipped it on. Before going into the bathroom, she pulled her hair up into a ponytail. Five minutes later, the warm water was enveloping Abby as she shut her eyes and thought about what had happened in the past two weeks. She hadn't expected anything to ever happen with her and John. And now here they were, naked, in her apartment.  
  
"You're beautiful, you know that." A voice interrupted Abby's tranquility. She whipped her head around to see Carter stepping into the shower. John noticed she had a distant look on her face. "What's wrong?"  
  
"You don't think we're moving too fast? Do you?" Abby grew serious and looked away as she leaned back against the smooth marble of her shower. John shook his head as he looked at her.  
  
"It's just that.everything happened all of a sudden. This sure as hell beats the second date rule." Abby ranted.  
  
"What?" John asked, confused.  
  
"Never mind."  
  
"Listen to me." John said, cupping her face in his hands. "I told you two weeks ago. We're going to be alright. No matter what happens outside this apartment, you and I are going to be alright. I believe in you and I believe in us."  
  
"Thanks." Abby whispered, as Carter bent down and kissed her gently on the lips. Suddenly, John started cracking up. "What?"  
  
"I'm sorry, I just cannot picture you as a bad ass in a religious phase."  
  
"Come on! I already explained this to you!" Abby angrily whacked Carter across the shoulder. "It was college! I was 19!"  
  
"No, I like it! It's actually kind of sexy." John raised his eyebrows.  
  
"Frisky are we." Abby smirked.  
  
"Ruff." Carter barked as he backed Abby into the corner wall. A few moments later, there was severe giggling coming from that bathroom.  
  
PLEASE REVIEW!!! 


	2. Chapter 2

I sort of got writer's block in the middle of writing this chapter. I've been trying to work on a United States history project, but then I think of an idea I want to put in my story so if there's some reference to the Revolutionary War in this chapter, I apologize. It took longer to get this together because of my project. Also, I wanted to have a longer chapter. Thanks for all your review! I hope everyone is enjoying this story. For those of you who do not enjoy this story and leave rude reviews, I'm not forcing you to read..hope everyone had a good weekend.  
  
"What are you going to do all week?" John asked as he woke up the next morning and saw Abby was already awake. Like Pratt, they both had the entire week off.  
  
"I don't know. I hadn't really thought about it."  
  
"Well, I am going to take you out tonight." John smiled as he wrapped his arm around her waist and kissed her neck.  
  
"Mmm. Okay." Abby closed her eyes and smiled.  
  
"But I have to go back to my place and check on Gamma."  
  
"You have to go now?"  
  
"You could come with me." Carter offered.  
  
"But then I'd have to come back and change again before we go out."  
  
"Well you could pack a bag and stay with me for a few days," John smiled. "in the guest room of course. I don't want to be away from you. It's that whole chaos theory again. I don't want something to happen that would take back everything that's happened in the past two weeks."  
  
"Okay."  
  
"Okay?" John smiled.  
  
"Yeah." Abby said, nodding, but still with a smile.  
  
"Okay. Well I'm going to go. When you're ready, you can just come over."  
  
"I can go now.it'll only take me a second to pack."  
  
"Okay, I'll wait." Carter leaned over and kissed Abby on the lips. When they broke apart, they both smiled and Abby walked into her closet.  
  
"We're not going to go anywhere fancy are we?" Abby called.  
  
"I want it to be a surprise."  
  
"I'll kill you if we end up going to Doc's." Abby said, sticking her head out of the closet.  
  
"No. I promise. No Doc's." John shook his head. "That'll be our second date."  
  
John stood up out of the bed and looked for his clothes which were thrown around the room. Actually, all the clothing that had been worn the previous day was thrown all over the room. He smiled as he pulled his pants on. It was strange to be waking up here in the morning and seeing Abby lying next to him. It was nice though.  
  
"Okay. I'm all set." Abby came out fully dressed out of the closet, interrupting his thoughts.  
  
"You know, we could always stop at Doc's for breakfast." John joked as they walked out the door of Abby's apartment fifteen minutes later. John opened the passenger door for Abby and waited for her to be in before shutting the door and getting in the other side of the Jeep.  
  
"Will you drop me off on the side of the road if your grandmother doesn't like me?" Abby asked.  
  
"Of course not! And don't say you won't get along, she's going to love you." John smiled and took Abby's hand and kissed it. She smiled too and looked out the window. As they pulled through the gates of the Carter mansion, Abby gave a small sigh. A moment later they drove up the driveway and John parked the car and they both got out.  
  
"So do I get the full tour this time?" Abby questioned.  
  
"Oh yeah. You get the bonus package." John smiled and kissed her on the cheek as he led her towards the front door. He reached out and rang the doorbell. When the maid answered the door, John handed her Abby's bag while stepping into the house. As the maid disappeared, Abby looked around in amazement, while John pretended not to notice how impressed she was.  
  
"It's nicer than I remember." Abby commented.  
  
"That's because my mother was here last time. Ready to go upstairs?" Carter changed the subject.  
  
"Yeah." Abby said and followed John up the stairs. They stopped in front of a door at the top of the stairs and down the hallway on the left. John opened the door.  
  
"Here we are." John said cheerfully.  
  
"This is your room?" Abby asked.  
  
"No. I was serious about the guest room. I thought you might be more comfortable in your own room. For the meantime at least."  
  
"Oh." Abby looked disappointed.  
  
"Hey. Don't look so upset. I know you can't resist me, but I'm only right down the hall." John smiled. Abby pulled him into a deep kiss before going into her room and closing the door. John couldn't keep the smile off his face as he walked into his own room. After pulling off his tie, he walked back out and headed to Gamma's room. Upon reaching the door, he knocked lightly on the door.  
  
"Come in." A voice called.  
  
"Hi Gamma." John said, walking into the old woman's room.  
  
"Why hello John. I thought I heard you come in a while ago. It's funny though, I thought I heard another voice with you."  
  
"Sorry we disturbed you." Carter apologized.  
  
"We?" Millicent raised her eyebrow.  
  
"Yes. My friend Abby is here."  
  
"Oh. And where is she now?"  
  
"Up in the guest room. She's changing her clothes before we go out tonight." Hearing this, Gamma turned and gave John a smile.  
  
"I haven't met this girl, have I?"  
  
"No Gamma."  
  
"Well why not? Why don't you bring her down before you leave?" Gamma inquired.  
  
"Only if you promise you'll be nice. I like this one."  
  
"Well then of course I'll be nice, unless she's like that last one." Gamma made a face. John laughed and leaned over and gave her a kiss on the cheek before leaving to go back to his own room to change his clothes. As the door shut, Millicent smiled. She had never seen John so happy, and there was something about him that had changed since before the lockdown in the hospital. He had called her soon after he found out that he would be staying at the hospital for two weeks. She had worried when she heard this news, but seeing him now made her wonder what had happened to get him so happy.  
  
"I just hope he stays like this." Millicent thought to herself before closing her eyes to take a short rest. 


	3. Chapter 3

(written Thursday night)  
  
Okay, just finished watching "Dead Again." All in all, I thought it was a decent episode. Didn't love it, except for certain scenes (guess which). I'm really exhausted because I've been posting in a message board, so I won't bore you with all the boring details. I really should go to sleep, because I will be taking my driving test in 7 and a half hours!! I'm nervous that I won't pass, but all my friends and family are telling me I'll do fine. I'm still nervous though. This chapter incorporated a few small details from "Dead Again" but nothing serious. In case anyone wants to check it out, my website has totally been remodeled. The former "Carter and Abby fan fiction lounge" is now "For Love of the Carby" and you should check it out if you want. The address is http://www.geocities.com/incognito0686. Okay - I'm officially really tired.this week has gone by really fast and next week will go fast too and then is homecoming! I'm trying desperately to get a date for the dance, but it's not working too well, even though I have all my friends helping me. Once again, wish me luck for my driving test and hope I don't fail!!! *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
John went back upstairs and into his room. Thirty minutes later, he emerged and knocked lightly on Abby's door.  
  
"Abby? It's me. Let me in." John called. The door opened a moment later, and what he saw took Carter's breathe away. "Wow."  
  
Abby was standing in the doorway wearing a dark red skirt and black sweater.  
  
"Wow." John just stood there looking at her. "Remember what I said about not wanting to be away from you?"  
  
"Yeah." Abby raised her eyebrow.  
  
"I meant that." John smiled and leaned down to give Abby a long kiss.  
  
"Ready to go?" Abby asked, when they broke apart.  
  
"Yeah. We have to go down and see Gamma first though. She wants to meet you." Carter took Abby's hand as she shut the door to her room and was led down the hallway.  
  
"Wait a second." Abby stopped right before they reached the door. "How did you explain to her that I was here? I mean, why did you tell her I was here?"  
  
"Well she heard us when we came in, and then I told her you were staying here and she was fine with it." John explained.  
  
"Oh." Abby sighed.  
  
"Don't worry." John gave her a small kiss on the cheek before opening the door and leading her through. "Hi Gamma."  
  
"Hello John." Millicent Carter smiled towards her grandson and then turned towards his guest. "You must be Abby. It's nice to finally meet you."  
  
"You too, Mrs. Carter." Abby gave a small smile.  
  
"Please call me Gamma, dear. Mrs. Carter is too formal." Gamma patted the younger woman's hand. "I imagine you two are happy to be out of that dreadful hospital. John, I think you should seriously consider legal action against them for locking you in there for two whole weeks."  
  
"Actually, I think it was a good experience for me." Carter smiled at his grandmother then turned and gave Abby a smile, which she returned.  
  
"Well I don't want to keep you any longer." Gamma smiled, noticing how Carter had been holding Abby's hand the entire time they had been in the room. She could see that he really was happy with this girl. It had never been like this with the others. "I hope we get to know each other better, when you have more time."  
  
"I'd like that." Abby nodded. John kissed his grandmother and then started out of the room with Abby following right behind him. As they reached the door, he held it open for her and then turned and winked at his grandmother before closing it behind him.  
  
As they exited through the front door of the mansion, Abby noticed that John wasn't next to her anymore. She quickly turned to see if he was behind her, but he wasn't there either. All of a sudden she heard what sounded like a car engine, and then in fact, a car did pull up to where she was standing. She gasped when she saw who was sitting in the passenger seat  
  
"Whose car is this?" Abby questioned, as John got out of the car.  
  
"Mine." John smirked. "Well, my family's. Not mine exclusively."  
  
"Wow. I don't know why, but I've always had a thing for old cars."  
  
"Yeah, me too." John looked at the car.  
  
"Well we already knew that." Abby joked and rolled her eyes.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Forget it." Abby chuckled and started walking towards the car  
  
"No. Tell me." John said, crossing his arms in front of him.  
  
"You're so cute when you're trying to be upset."  
  
"Only for you." John bent down and went to kiss Abby, but stopped before their lips actually connected. He pulled away and smiled.  
  
"That was cruel."  
  
"Well you deserved it." Carter opened the door, and ushered Abby in. "Algers, this is Ms. Lockhart. You are going to be seeing a lot of her in the future."  
  
The driver nodded and Abby smiled.  
  
"You're too much."  
  
"I know." John leaned back in his seat and sighed. The next thing he knew, Abby's arms were around his neck and she was pulling him towards her.  
  
"Keep your eyes on the road, Algers." Carter got out before he was too occupied to talk. All of a sudden Carter's pager went off.  
  
"Shit!" He cursed as he dug it out of his pocket.  
  
"ER?" Abby questioned.  
  
"Yeah. Can I borrow your phone?" John asked and dialed in the number when she handed him her cell.  
  
"Randi? It's Carter. Did you page me? No, I'm still off for a few more days. I was there for two weeks and I'm cleared for four more days. No, I can't come in. Fine, put her on the phone." John shook his head while he waited for the phone to be transferred to another person. Abby played with his other hand while he waited. "Kerry listen, I'm exhausted. I know it's my job as chief resident to fill in, but.Kerry.god!"  
  
"What happened?" Abby asked, concerned.  
  
"She hung up on me." John handed back the phone.  
  
"You have to go in?"  
  
"Yeah. Apparently Mercy is closed to traumas so we got them all and now it's swamped and there's no way to get out of it." Carter ran his hand through his hair. "Algers, turn around and take us back to the house."  
  
"Why don't we just go to the hospital?" Abby asked.  
  
"Well you don't want to come. I'll just drop you off and I'll drive in."  
  
"That's silly. We're almost there anyway. Just go ahead."  
  
"You don't mind?"  
  
"No." Abby smiled. "What would a perfect evening be without a trip to the ER."  
  
"You do realize that by arriving together and looking as good as you do right now people are going to realize something is going on."  
  
"So?"  
  
"You ready for this?"  
  
"Sure. Are you?" Abby asked, glancing over at him.  
  
Carter nodded. "I just hope you realize that we are going to be asked a lot of questions and might have to fess up to some things."  
  
"Well then we'll just avoid Chuny and Haleh."  
  
"Easier said than done." John looked out the window and realized they were nearly to the hospital.  
  
"Well at least we'll be together."  
  
"Yeah." They smiled at each other before stepping out of the car when it stopped in the ambulance bay and walking through the doors hand in hand. 


	4. Chapter 4

Once again, this chapter inserts little tidbits from "Dead Again." Very subtle though. Sorry it took so long to get this chapter up, but my grandmother had complications with her knee replacement surgery so I've been worrying about that and today is the last day of the six week semester so all my teachers had tests either yesterday or today. I'm looking forward to tonight's episode even though I know what's going to happen at the very end.hopefully it'll be a cute scene, even though the consequences might not be so good. Thanks for all your review! There's been a lot of positive and negative feedback, which I don't really mind, even though some people can get a little out of control (you know who you are). Have a great weekend. I don't have school tomorrow so I'll start writing the next chapter right after tonight's episode airs and I have inspiration. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* As soon as they stepped through the doors, they knew it was going to be a hectic night. Abby walked into the lounge as Carter walked up to the front desk. The chairs area was totally packed and it seemed that everywhere John looked, there was another person holding a bandage to a miscellaneous body part. He shook his head as he saw Randi.  
  
"Where's Weaver?" He asked the desk clerk.  
  
"Seeing a patient somewhere. I don't know. She's been really moody lately. She started screaming at everyone, even patients, about an hour ago. She had settled down by the time you talked to her on the phone."  
  
"That was settled down?" John wondered aloud.  
  
"Yeah. Now I'd grab a chart and go see someone before she comes back." Randi grimaced. "Oh, by the way, was that Abby who came in with you?"  
  
"Uh, yeah." John looked down at the chart so Randi wouldn't see him blush.  
  
"Hmm.interesting." Luckily, Carter was saved from further questions because the phone starting ringing, and Randi answered it. If Carter hadn't walked away to see his patient, he would have seen Luka going into the lounge.  
  
"Oh, Abby, I thought you weren't on until next week." Luka said, upon entering the lounge and seeing Abby sitting on the sofa flipping through a magazine.  
  
"I know, I'm not. I'm just waiting for someone." Abby said, looking up.  
  
"You look nice." Luka smiled, going to his locker and opening it.  
  
"Thanks." Abby looked back down at her magazine.  
  
"You should wear skirts more." Luka glanced at her then went back to searching for something in his locker. Abby smirked in response. Luka grinned when he saw that he had made her smile.  
  
"Hey Abby." John stuck his head through the door and was confused to see Abby was smiling until he saw that Luka was in the room. "Can I, uh, see you in exam three for a sec. I need your advice on something."  
  
"Are you off now?" Abby asked Luka, as she was standing up to follow John.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Well good night." Abby smiled once more as she left the room. Abby couldn't tell what was going on with Luka. He had hurt her when they broke up, but she still wanted him to be happy. She knew she should've told her about her and John's relationship, but she didn't know how and she didn't want to just out and blurt it. As soon as she walked into exam room three, Abby noticed Carter sitting on a gurney. She walked over to him and as soon as she was close enough, he stood up and closed the curtain around them.  
  
"Mmm.this is better." Abby mumbled as John was kissing her neck with soft kisses.  
  
"I'm going to be on for a while." John said as she ran her hand through his hair. "You should go home before Kerry sees you."  
  
"I want to stay."  
  
"I know you can't resist me, but you're tired and you don't deserve to be here."  
  
"No. I'm staying." Abby said firmly.  
  
"You're incredible." Carter smiled.  
  
"I know." Abby smiled back.  
  
*Four Hours Later*  
  
"Why am I here?" Abby wondered to herself as she got puked on by the fourth kid in a row. She had changed into scrubs a long time ago and put her nice clothes in her locker. Then she saw the reason she was there, lying on the sofa in the lounge. He looked so peaceful as she looked through the window. She knew he was more exhausted than even she was, even though he was more used to working unusual hours. She was about to quietly walk in the door, but Susan stopped her.  
  
"He shouldn't be on. I volunteered to take over for him, but Kerry wouldn't listen to me." Susan shook her head. "I have no idea why you're here. I saw you when you came in though, nice skirt."  
  
"Thanks. We were supposed to be going out."  
  
"I'm glad you two finally figured everything out." Susan smiled and looked genuinely happy for her.  
  
"Did you ever call that bartender?" A mischievous smile crept onto Abby's face.  
  
"Oh yeah." Susan smiled back. "You think I went to Barbados by myself?"  
  
"Haha." Abby laughed.  
  
"Susan, we have a GSW coming in. ETA seven minutes. Will you get Carter up?" Haleh said, coming over to the two women.  
  
"I'll do it." Abby volunteered and walked through the door of the lounge. She walked over to her boyfriend's sleeping form and gently kissed his head.  
  
"Joooohn." She whispered in his ear and softly shook him. "Get up babe. GSW is coming in. Ahh!"  
  
John had woken up and pulled Abby down so that she was now lying on top of him. He reached up and kissed her. She eagerly returned the kiss, but then pulled away.  
  
"There's a trauma coming in."  
  
"Excuses excuses." John shook his head teasingly which caused Abby to give a pout. "Aw, you look so cute when you're trying to look angry."  
  
"It sounds better when I say it." Abby stuck her tongue out at him.  
  
"What time is it?"  
  
"12:15. You've been asleep for about half an hour. Sorry."  
  
"Well I was having a really good dream, so you should be sorry."  
  
"What was your dream about?" Abby asked, after yawning for a moment.  
  
"The ER banquet a couple years ago. Everyone was there. Carol, Doug, Anna.Mark. Anna had tested positive as a bone marrow donor so she couldn't walk and we sat and talked the entire time." Carter didn't realize he was smiling as he was reliving this memory.  
  
"Oh." Abby said, putting her hands in her lap.  
  
"Things were so good then. If I had known then that I was going to end up a recovering druggie and chief resident, I would have left with Anna." John didn't even notice that Abby wasn't talking or looking at him anymore.  
  
"Guys, the GSW is here." Susan stuck her head in. Abby got up and left the room and Carter soon followed after her.  
  
"What's the matter?" John asked, right as they reached the doors to the ambulance bay.  
  
"Nothing." Abby insisted, even though she knew John could see right through her. As the patient was unloaded out of the ambulance, Abby paid full attention to fixing this person instead of thinking about her own problems.  
  
An hour later, the ER was practically empty and Abby escaped to the roof. She had basically been ignoring since the guy had died. John had gone to talk to the wife while Abby slipped away. The fact that John had been dreaming about his old friends hadn't bothered Abby as much as the emphasis he had put on how happy he had been then as compared to now. If she wasn't making him happy now, she wasn't sure she would ever know how to do it. As she took another long sip of her coffee, Abby heard the door to the roof open.  
  
"It's 1:30 am in Chicago, do you know where your girlfriend is?" John came up behind her and joked, then grew serious when he saw she wasn't smiling. "Please tell me what's wrong."  
  
"Are you happy?"  
  
"Of course I'm happy."  
  
"But would you prefer things to be the way they used to be?  
  
"Well it would be a tradeoff."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"If I was there, I wouldn't have you. Every woman I've ever dated after I met you broke up with me because I always wanted to be with you."  
  
"Is that what happened with Susan?" Carter nodded. "I'm sorry."  
  
"Well they were all right. I've never wanted to be with anyone else but you. I love you." John sighed.  
  
"I know." Abby sighs.  
  
"I don't want to be with anyone else, Abby. I want to be with you."  
  
"I love you too John." Abby finished what she had been trying to say as Carter wrapped his arms around her. As John kissed her, Abby could feel herself getting carried away. She didn't mind being like this when she was with him. With previous relationships, she had wanted to pull away the moment things got too involved. Now it was different though. Maybe she had grown up more after being with Luka, or maybe she hadn't grown up at all, just took better notice of the things around her. 


	5. Chapter 5

I loved tonight's episode. If you want my full review and reaction, go to my website (www.geocities.com/incognito0686) because I don't have the patience to write everything out again and I really want to get to my story. This chapter is going to start right after "Insurrection" so just pretend that everything happened in between the last chapter and this one. Also, there will be a few spoilers for next week and I what I think will happen. Oh, just one quick thing. I love Tom Everett Scott!!! Whoever cast him as Eric should be promoted! I can totally see him and Carter getting really close. Well at least I hope they will.okay, here's chapter 5.  
  
As the phone rang the next morning, Abby groaned and reached over to pick it up.  
  
"Hello?" She said hoarsely.  
  
"Why hello there." A cheerful voice said on the other end. "Sleep well?"  
  
"What time is it?" Abby said, trying to see clearly enough to look at her clock.  
  
"7:13."  
  
"Shit!" Abby said, quickly sitting up.  
  
"You're on at 8."  
  
"I know!" Abby ran a hand through her hair and stood up.  
  
"Well I just wanted to make sure. Where's your brother?"  
  
"He left yesterday. He got transferred to Nebraska or something. Listen, can I call you when I'm on my way in? I need to get changed." Abby said impatiently. Suddenly Abby heard a thump in her kitchen. "Wait a sec. I think someone's in my apartment."  
  
Abby cautiously peeked around the corner of her bedroom and nearly died when she saw who was standing in her kitchen.  
  
"Oh my god!"  
  
"Yes?" John smiled sweetly.  
  
"I'm going to kill you." Abby said as John leaned down to give her a quick kiss. Abby crossed her arms in front of her and frowned. "That wasn't nice."  
  
"I know, but it was worth it to see you in those adorable pajamas."  
  
"I don't think I've ever heard a guy say the word adorable. Are you sure you're straight?"  
  
"You tell me." John toyed with the elastic of her shorts.  
  
"Uch, I don't have time. I have to be at the hospital in." Abby checked her watch. "thirty eight minutes."  
  
"I have to find three nurses to let go." Carter said grimly.  
  
"What?" Abby said, turning serious.  
  
"That was the only way we got more security. It was either that or no x- rays or labs after ten." John explained.  
  
"Well what are you going to do?" Abby asked, rubbing her eye and pouring herself a cup of the coffee that Carter had made in her kitchen.  
  
"I'm not exactly sure. I have to have the names to Kerry by the time I go in this morning and I've been thinking all night and can't come up with anything."  
  
"Sorry."  
  
"So how was your night?"  
  
"Uhh.interesting." Abby gave a half smile before putting her attention back into her coffee.  
  
"What time did you get home?"  
  
"Are you checking up on me?"  
  
"No, just wondering."  
  
"I'm not exactly sure. The whole thing is kind of a blur." Abby shook her head then looked up as John gave her a funny look. "What?"  
  
"Nothing."  
  
"I didn't do anything I shouldn't have, mother." Abby rolled her eyes.  
  
"I wasn't saying you did."  
  
"You were thinking it."  
  
"I see that ESP is coming back." Carter said sarcastically.  
  
"I don't need this right now." Abby put down her cup and walked back towards her bedroom. "I have to get ready. You got yourself in, so you can get yourself out. I'll see you at the hospital."  
  
Abby stomped into her bedroom and slammed the door before turning on her shower. Carter didn't leave, instead cleaned up and waited for Abby to come out. When she came out fully dressed ten minutes later, John was sitting at her dining room table.  
  
"I'm not going anywhere Abby." He said upon seeing her disapproving look.  
  
"Well I am. I have to work." Abby picked up her sweater and left the apartment. John locked the door and hurried after her.  
  
"Get in my car. I'll take you in."  
  
"No thanks. I'll take the El."  
  
"Listen, you're going to be late if you do that. Just come with me."  
  
"No." Abby insisted, still walking in the opposite direction.  
  
"Abby don't do this! Don't walk away from me!" John shouted.  
  
"What are you going to do? Fire me? Go ahead." Abby threw her arms in the air.  
  
"I'm not going to fire you, dammit." John was still following her.  
  
"Why not? I'm not the most qualified nurse by far, I screw up all the time, and I haven't been here as long as half the other nurses."  
  
"You're a good nurse."  
  
"Don't feel sorry for me Carter." Abby said whipping around.  
  
"Then stop feeling sorry for yourself." John spoke, and immediately regretted his words. Abby glared at him before turning around and storming off. Carter went back to his Jeep and drove to County. He smiled as he went through the entrance to the ambulance bay and saw the metal detectors. The ER wasn't as busy as it had been the previous day, but was still pretty packed.  
  
"Hey Carter." A voice called.  
  
"Hey. What time were you on?"  
  
"Six." Susan shook her head. "Can you believe that? It's what I get for staying out til two in the morning."  
  
"Wow, is that when you guys finished?"  
  
"No, that was when the party actually started." Susan joked as she walked into the lounge, followed by the other doctor. "Actually, Abby only had a couple drinks before she left. She wasn't dancing like Deb was. You should have seen it, it was hilarious."  
  
"She's not a very personable drunk." Carter cut Susan's next words off. "You know, she's a recovering alcoholic, meetings and all. I don't think it's a good idea for you to be dragging her all over to bars and clubs like this."  
  
"What are you talking about?" Susan asked incredulously.  
  
"I know she needs a friend and you two get along, but her drinking is not solving her problems." Carter didn't notice that someone else had walked into the lounge until he saw Susan stop talking and look down. Carter turned around and saw Abby's upset face. After spending barely a minute getting what she needed from her locker, she went to leave again and didn't even speak as she left.  
  
"You need to talk to her." Susan said and then left the room as well. John sighed and opened his locker.  
  
"Damn!" John slammed his locker shut and started his day. 


	6. Chapter 6

It took me a while to write this chapter, even though it's not really long. I've been in and out of the hospital all weekend visiting my grandmother, and haven't actually been home enough to work on the story, except for obscene hours of the night (like right now - 1:38am). I couldn't resist not putting Miami into this story, so this chapter and the next one will both incorporate my favorite city. But of course I'm partial to the city, since I live here. Anyways, another chapter will be up soon. I don't have school tomorrow but I have a little homework and I have to shop for one last detail for my homecoming outfit. Thanks for your review! They mean the world to me.  
  
"Let's go take a walk by the river." Carter said when he saw Abby three hours later.  
  
"No thanks. I just took a break an hour ago." Abby said, as she gathered supplies in the drug lock-up.  
  
"How about at one then? Listen, I really need to talk to you."  
  
"Fine." Abby said after a moment then squeezed past him to get out. Three hours later she met Carter at the doors to the ambulance bay, and they walked out together. Neither one of them talked until they reached the river.  
  
"I don't want to fight with you." John started as they reached their bench.  
  
"Okay." Abby said nonchalantly, sitting down.  
  
"And.I love you." Carter took her hand in his. "I don't want anything to happen to you because I wouldn't be able to bear it."  
  
"Carter." Abby looked down at her feet.  
  
"I'll do anything you tell me to do, but I won't just go away. I love you too much for that."  
  
"Carter, listen to me." Abby said sharply causing John to snap his head towards her. "I think I need some time to myself, to sort things out. I haven't had a vacation in ages, and I think it would be good for me."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"I know you probably don't approve, but I really don't care." Abby said defiantly.  
  
"This isn't because of what I said earlier is it?" John asked after a moment of letting everything settle in.  
  
Abby just shook her head.  
  
"Okay." John said, approvingly.  
  
"I wasn't asking your permission."  
  
"I know." They both sat there for a minute, looking at each other, not exactly sure what they could say to make the situation better. After hesitating just a moment, John leaned in and kissed Abby gently on the lips. She put her hands on either side of his face and then pulled away.  
  
"Goodbye John." Abby said softly, as she stood up and walked away. Usually it was Carter that was the one who she watched leave from this bench, but this time it had been her. Once again, this showed how their relationship had changed. She knew she probably owed him more of an explanation, but seeing him hurt anymore would have killed her as well. She knew she was doing the right thing though, no matter what the cost was. Now all she had to do was talk to Weaver. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ "You're what?" Susan exclaimed.  
  
"I'm just going away for a couple weeks."  
  
"Kerry was okay with that?"  
  
"Well she still owed me from the lockdown."  
  
"Is Carter going with you?" Susan smirked.  
  
"Actually no.and I don't really want him to know where I am."  
  
"You two are still together though, aren't you?"  
  
"I'm not really sure. That's one of the reasons I'm leaving."  
  
"This doesn't have to do with us going out the other night does it?"  
  
"No. Why?"  
  
"Oh because he got upset at me when I told him about Deb and how late we were out."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"Well have fun." Susan smiled. "Be sure to call me if anything interesting happens. You know me, I love the juicy stuff."  
  
"Bye." Abby waved to the other woman as she walked out the door to the lounge. As Abby boarded the plane a couple hours later, she looked out the window from her seat.  
  
"Are you going on vacation?" The woman sitting next to her asked as she rocked a baby in her arms.  
  
"Yeah." Abby said quickly.  
  
"Have you ever been to Miami before?" Abby shook her head. "Well it's nice. I'm from there actually."  
  
The woman continued to talk, but Abby zoned out her voice. When the plane landed three hours later, Abby gathered her carry-on bag and headed towards the exit. She hadn't even bothered bringing another suitcase because she really hadn't packed that much clothing. A couple bathing suits, a few shirts, shorts, a pair of jeans, underwear, bras, and toiletries was all. She figured if she needed anything else, she could buy it. Finding a taxi was not really that hard, but trying to get the driver to understand what she was saying was practically impossible. Incredibly, she did make it to the small condo in one piece. She had found the place through a former nurse from OB who she had stayed in touch with through the years. Nancy had always offered the place to anyone who wanted it, but Abby had never been able to come until now. The view of the ocean took her breathe away as they pulled up. After paying the driver, Abby stepped outside and admired the perfect weather. It was nothing like Chicago, obviously, but it was nothing like Abby had even imagined. 


	7. Chapter 7

"Hanging by a Moment" has the best timing of coming onto the radio when I need to hear it. I walked into my room to write this chapter, and the song came on the radio. Ahh.such a good song. Tomorrow is going to be a great episode (I think/hope). I just hope there's tons more carby scenes. I just returned from my first night outing with my license. I was allowed to go pick up my sister from ballet at nine, but my mom didn't want me to go, but my dad let me. Soooo much fun! Okay, it's homecoming week and I only have two days to find a date for the dance on Saturday. As there are only two days left, I have this strange feeling that I'm not going to find a date at all. Uch. I hate my life. LOL. Okay, I'm going to go write in my live journal because I'm a little depressed - as usual. Please keep coming with the reviews! I really appreciate them!!! ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
The other staff noticed the change in John Carter almost immediately. Once he came back into the hospital, he was not his usual cheery self. No one really said anything, however, until he got aggressive during a procedure. A drunk woman had been brought in after crashing her car. When she coded and a nurse pulled out the defibrillator and the paddles, John angrily tried to resuscitate her for twenty minutes before calling the time of death, throwing down his gloves, and storming out of the room. Jing-Mei was the first to go after him.  
  
"You alright?" She asked, as she approached him outside the ambulance bay doors.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"You sure? You seem distracted." Chen pressed.  
  
"I said I'm fine." John snapped. "I'm sorry. I'm just stressed with Abby and Kerry and the hospital and everything."  
  
"You need a vacation." Jing-Mei suggested. "Maybe you and Abby should go somewhere, quiet and tropical."  
  
"You obviously haven't heard yet."  
  
"Heard what?"  
  
"Abby went on that vacation."  
  
"Well why aren't you with her? Kerry wouldn't give you time off?"  
  
"I wasn't really invited. She left a couple hours ago."  
  
"Where'd she go?"  
  
"I'm not sure. She only told me she needed to figure things out for herself."  
  
"Then give her a little space."  
  
"I have." John insisted.  
  
"I know, but be a little patient." Deb suggested.  
  
"I have been patient. I've been waiting for this for two and a half years. And it was worth those two and a half years to be able to have these past weeks with her. It's better than I even expected it could possibly be."  
  
"Tell her that."  
  
"I can't. I don't know where she is." John hung his head. Suddenly Deb's pager went off, followed by John's a few seconds later. Deb smiled and stood up.  
  
"Good luck." She said, before walking back inside. As John followed her, he saw Kerry off in the distance.  
  
"Hey Kerry, can I talk to you a minute?" He asked, approaching the older doctor.  
  
"Make it quick. We have a trauma coming in." Weaver said impatiently.  
  
"I know this is short notice, but I was wondering if I could take a week's vacation."  
  
"I assume this has something to do with Abby." He nodded. "I'm sorry. We're short handed as it is. Not to mention how far we were set back during your walk-out. I'm sorry, I just can't let you go."  
  
"Please Kerry, this is important. You know I hardly ever take vacation time."  
  
"I know, but you're chief resident. You're required to take hours as needed and you are needed right now."  
  
"Look, I'm going either way. I'll finish out my shift, but after that, I'm leaving." John said, getting upset. "You brought me back in last week when I was supposed to have been off. I need a break."  
  
"Fine. Go." Kerry barked.  
  
"Thank you." John replied and walked towards the lounge. He barged through the door, and nearly hit Susan in the shoulder.  
  
"Geez. Tense?" Susan questioned as she rubbed her shoulder.  
  
"Sorry. I got mad at Weaver."  
  
"And decided to take it out on the door?"  
  
"No. It just kind of got in the way." John gave a small smile.  
  
"Are you okay? You don't look so good and you've looked a little shaky all day."  
  
"I'm fine. Just a little tired."  
  
"Okay."  
  
"Listen, I'm sorry about what I said the other day. I'm just worried."  
  
"I know. I understand."  
  
"Um, have you talked to Abby lately?"  
  
"I talked to her two days ago before she left." Susan admitted.  
  
"Did she tell you where she was going? Susan, you have to tell me where she went." He said when he realized Susan wasn't answering his question and had a guilty look on her face.  
  
"I promised her I wouldn't tell you."  
  
"It's really important."  
  
"Listen, she was upset when she left and she said you were one of the reasons she was going."  
  
"I know, she told me the same thing. I can't stay here and let her make the wrong decision though. I love her Susan."  
  
"I know." Susan nodded. "She went to Miami."  
  
"Thank you." Carter gave Susan a quick hug.  
  
"Don't tell her I told you." Susan shouted as Carter raced out the door. He called his travel agent from his cell phone in the car on the way to the airport. There wasn't a flight leaving for Miami for eight hours, so he had resorted to taking the flight to Fort Lauderdale which left in an hour and a half. John figured he could always rent a car for the ride. Two hours later, John settled into the seat, and looked out the window as the plane took off. He had called Susan right before he boarded and gotten all of Abby's hotel information. He just hoped that Abby would be as happy to see him as he would be to see her. 


	8. Chapter 8

If you want my full review of tonight's episode, go to my website (http://www.geocities.com/incognito0686) because I don't have the strength to write everything out again. One thought though, I LOVED THE EPISODE! I thought it was really great. Really angsty with Carter and Abby - but everything worked out and they are in looove (uh-oh, I feel an Avril Lavigne song coming on). So I need to go write in my live journal because I'm having these weird mood swings that could be induced by a number of things (which I prefer not to mention) or just the fact that I'm pissed off at the guy I like because he's being an asshole. So here's chapter 8.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ The ride up the elevator was done in silence as John watched the number light up as they went higher. There was only one other person with him, and she was silent as well. As they neared the fifteenth floor, Carter got antsy and leaned his head back against the wall of the elevator. When the door opened, he walked out and turned left down the hallway. He looked at his watch and realized it was already ten thirty. He had gotten into Fort Lauderdale at about eight thirty and had made really good time south considering he didn't really know where he was going, even though he had gotten directions from the rental car agent.  
  
He finally reached the right door and hesitated for a moment before knocking lightly on it. Not hearing any sound from the other side, he knocked again, but a little harder. Finally he heard her voice say "one minute" as footsteps coming towards the door.  
  
"I told you I." Abby stopped mid-sentence as her head came around the door and she gasped. "Wow. What are you doing here? I thought it was room service again."  
  
"I had to see you Abby."  
  
"I told you not to come." Abby raised her eyebrows.  
  
"I know."  
  
"Fine, come in." Abby opened the door all the way to reveal that she was wearing only a bikini top and a pair of shorts.  
  
"Were you on your way down to the beach?" Carter questioned.  
  
"Actually yes."  
  
"I want to talk to you." John said seriously.  
  
"We have talked Carter." Abby insisted.  
  
"No, I haven't said the right things." Carter interrupted. "If I had said the right things, you wouldn't have left and not told me where you went."  
  
"I wanted you to trust me to make my own decisions. How can we have a relationship if we don't trust each other?"  
  
"Why did you come here in the first place?" Carter asked, ignoring Abby's comment about trust. "Did you figure out what you wanted to figure out?"  
  
"Actually I did." Abby said angrily. Then she softened and sat down on the bed and started to play with a piece of hair that had fallen out of her loose ponytail. "When I was with Luka, I would always feel sorry for myself, you were right about that. It was like having a relationship with myself and I needed someone to be there for me, and I guess that was being selfish. I thought I didn't deserve to have a good relationship because of Richard and my mother and then Luka."  
  
As Abby let out this confession, tears started to fall from her eyes. Before she knew what was happening, Carter was beside her, hugging her, and comforting her. In a moment, they're faces were just inches apart.  
  
"I love you Abby Lockhart." John whispered. Abby smiled as John wiped away one of her tears.  
  
"I love you too, John Carter." A moment after their lips touched, John gently lowered her back onto the bed. She reached behind him to grasp his shoulders and bring him closer so that she could kiss him again. His shirt was gone in a few seconds and Carter was fumbling with the tie on Abby's top when she stopped him. "You know there was a reason I chose to come to Miami."  
  
"Why's that?" John asked, kissing her bare collarbone.  
  
"I was jealous of Susan's tan." Abby laughed. "Of course she's not going to need a tan when I get through with her for telling you where I was."  
  
"It was my fault. I begged."  
  
"I just hope there weren't sexual favors involved." Abby smirked.  
  
"Just who do you think you're dealing with here?" John asked innocently. "I'm a professional remember."  
  
"That's what I'm worried about." Abby giggled. Carter ran his hand through her hair as he kissed her to quiet her. "What about the beach?"  
  
"Trust me, you won't regret this." John said, and finally untied the bikini.  
  
"I trust you." Abby said seriously as she looked into his eyes. "I trust you." 


	9. Chapter 9

Well I really like this chapter because you really see Carter and Abby away from the hospital. It took me all weekend to write this because I had Homecoming and I slept in and went to bed late etc. I don't really have much to report, I'm not in a good mood, but that doesn't reflect in my story (don't worry).  
  
I do not own much of anything in this story. Y-100 is a local radio station here in South Florida and the song used is John Mayer's "Your Body is A Wonderland." Umm.anything else that doesn't belong to me? Oh yeah, the characters.please don't sue me now that I've covered everything. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
At six o'clock, Abby wrapped a towel around herself and stepped out of the shower.  
  
"What are you watching?" She asked as she walked out of the bathroom and saw John sitting on the bed.  
  
"Real World marathon. How do kids watch this?" John asked, intrigued.  
  
"John Carter watching reality television? This is a first."  
  
"Well it was either this or "My Girl" on TNT, which didn't sound appealing either."  
  
"Oh come on. "My Girl" is a great movie!" Abby protested.  
  
"It's a chick flick."  
  
"Whatever." Abby said, pulling on underwear and a bra and wrapping the towel around her head.  
  
"That's an attractive look." John looked up from the television.  
  
"But of course. It's all the rage in Paris." Abby smiled.  
  
"What do you want to do tonight?" Carter asked.  
  
"Oh, I hadn't even really thought about it." Abby said as she slipped on a t-shirt and sat down on the bed next to John.  
  
"I want to take you out. How often are we going to be in Miami together?" John joked.  
  
"Well I just hope you're not planning anything fancy, because I don't have anything to wear."  
  
"I'll buy you something."  
  
"What?"  
  
"We'll go shopping and we can find something for you to wear out."  
  
"You don't have to do that. I don't even want to go out that badly."  
  
"I know you don't, but I want to take you out." John insisted.  
  
"Fine." Abby groaned.  
  
"Get dressed and we'll get going." John said, turning off the tv.  
  
"You're annoying sometimes, you know that?" Abby stuck her tongue out at him.  
  
"You know you love it." Carter grinned as Abby got up and walked back into the bathroom. Ten minutes later, they left the room hand in hand and went down the elevator to John's rental car. He opened the passenger side for her before going and getting in the driver's side. They were driving down the beach, but neither one of them said anything. John decided he needed some music so he clicked the volume button to turn on the radio.  
  
"Hey, check this out, its John Mayer's new song right here on Y-100!!" The radio announcer said.  
  
We got the afternoon You got this room for two One thing I've left to do Discover me Discovering you  
  
One mile to every inch of Your skin like porcelain One pair of candy lips and Your bubblegum tongue  
  
And if you want love We'll make it Swimming a deep sea Of blankets Take all your big plans And break 'em This is bound to be a while  
  
Your body is a wonderland Your body is a wonder (I'll use my hands) Your body is a wonderland  
  
Something 'bout the way Your hair falls in your face I love the shape you take when crawling Towards the pillowcase  
  
You tell me where to go and Through I might leave to find it I'll never let your head hit the bed Without my hand behind it  
  
As the song went on, John reached his hand over and took Abby's. She looked over and smiled at him.  
  
You want love? We'll make it Swimming a deep sea Of blankets Take all your big plans And break 'em This is bound to be a while Your body is a wonderland You body is a wonder (I'll use my hands) Your body is a wonderland  
  
Damn baby You frustrate me I know you're mine all mine all mine But you look so good it hurts sometimes  
  
Your body is a wonderland Your body is a wonder (I'll use my hands) Your body is a wonderland Your body is a wonderland.  
  
"I like that song." Abby said after a moment.  
  
"Yeah. Me too."  
  
"Here, pull over here." Abby said quickly and pointed to a parking space.  
  
"What? We haven't gone anywhere, we're still on the beach." John said, but pulled into the spot anyway.  
  
"I know." Abby said, unbuckling her seat belt and getting out of the car. She slid her shoes off and threw them into the car before shutting the door and crossing the street. Bewildered, John did the same and followed her.  
  
"You're nuts you know that!" John said when he realized what she was doing.  
  
"I'm being that tornado that you know and love." Abby smiled.  
  
"No doubt about that."  
  
"Come on." Abby said, taking his hand and dragging him towards the water.  
  
"Please tell me you're not going to skinny dip again."  
  
"Of course not, there's people around." Abby stood right where the tide met the sand and let her feet stand in the water. As the waves came in and out, Abby's feet sunk into the soft sand. "I love doing this."  
  
"You do know that you don't have to come to Florida to play at the beach."  
  
"You didn't have to come to Florida to play at the beach with me."  
  
"I'll follow you anywhere." He whispered in her ear as he wrapped his arms around her waist. She giggled and the two collapsed onto the dry sand behind them.  
  
"This is pretty." John said, looking back at the setting sun.  
  
"Yeah." Abby said, looking over at Carter. "John."  
  
John turned to look at Abby, but she shrugged and shook her head.  
  
"Nevermind." She said, and leaned back and looked up at the sky and sighed. 


	10. The Test

I've had a really bad week. I really don't want it to be Monday, however, because something bad is happening on Monday. Uch. I want it to be tomorrow forever. Or I want tomorrow to last forever, depending on how you look at it. It's 2:55 am and I cannot fall asleep. That's why I decided to finish up this chapter, which has taken so long to write. I'm going to start naming my chapters. Thanks for all the positive reviews. If you have anything you want to tell me but not put in a review, email me at incognito0686@yahoo.com. Also email me if you have any fan fics that you want me to put on my website or any suggestions for my website. I'm always looking for new things because I get bored easily.Okay, I have to be up early to volunteer for something at school. Please review!!!!  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Does this have to be our last night?" Abby asked two days later as she was packing her clothes into her bag.  
  
"Unless you want Kerry coming down here and physically dragging us back."  
  
"But I don't want to go." Abby pouted.  
  
"I don't either." John said as he pulled her away from her packing and kissed her. "And to think you didn't even want me to come here in the first place."  
  
"Yeah, well that wasn't one of my best decisions ever."  
  
"Hey, can I make a suggestion."  
  
"Sure."  
  
"Next time you decide to go away, can you tell me where you're going first? It would make things a lot easier."  
  
"I promise you will always know where I am." Abby smiled.  
  
"Good." Carter smiled back and took Abby's arms and pulled her towards him. They kissed as she ran her hand through his hair. "I feel bad now. We always end up doing this. We've done this every night for the past four days."  
  
"I know. But I like this."  
  
"Yeah, me too." John said while pulling off Abby's shirt before taking off his own and falling back onto the bed.  
  
"Uch, I don't feel good." Abby moaned the next morning as they got out of the cab at the airport.  
  
"What's the matter? You were fine earlier." John said as he paid the driver.  
  
"I know, I think last night's dinner is coming back to haunt me."  
  
"Well I can just wait in line and you can go to the bathroom." Carter suggested.  
  
"No, I don't feel sick like that."  
  
"Then how do you feel sick? I am a doctor you know."  
  
"Just go stand in line." Abby ordered. "I'm just going to stand here and see if I feel any better."  
  
"Okay. Are you sure you're okay?" John asked one last time. Abby nodded and waved him forward. After Carter had checked in and received their boarding passes, he went back to Abby. "Are you nauseous? Do you want me to get you a Coke?"  
  
"No, I'm feeling better now." Abby said, composing herself and taking John's offered hand. "Let's go."  
  
They boarded the plane an hour and a half later and were in the air soon after. As the plane lifted into the air, Abby yawned and leaned her head onto Carter's shoulder. He kissed her forehead as she fell asleep and then he leaned back and fell asleep as well. Abby woke up first as the plane touched down in Chicago. She gently shook John to get him awake.  
  
"We're back?" He asked groggily. Abby nodded. "How are you feeling?"  
  
"Fine. Really. I'm fine." Abby insisted. "Do you need to call Kerry to tell her we're back?"  
  
"Yeah, but I'll do it once we get home. No use calling in then having her bring us in right away."  
  
They exited the airplane and headed towards the glass doors that led to the parking garage. John dug into his jacket and found the little slip of paper telling him where he had parked his car days before. As they reached the Jeep, they both got into the car.  
  
"You know, I was thinking about something on the plane."  
  
"Uh-oh."  
  
"What do you think about kids?" Abby questioned and faced him.  
  
"In general or for us?" John raised his eyebrow.  
  
"Both."  
  
"Well I want kids some day.  
  
"Oh."  
  
"Do you?"  
  
"I think so."  
  
"Why are we having this conversation now anyway? Are."  
  
"I might be pregnant." Abby interrupted quickly.  
  
"What?" John asked, shocked.  
  
"Well it would explain why I was nauseous this morning."  
  
"Do you want to stop and get a test from the drug store?"  
  
"Do you think it would be crazy for us to have a baby now?" Abby asked as they pulled into the nearest drug store.  
  
"Let's wait and see what happens."  
  
Thirty minutes later, they were home and sitting on Abby's bed waiting for the test to finish. They had set a timer to go off in the kitchen after the amount of time was up. Abby was silent as John tried to make small talk. Finally there was a buzzing noise from the other room and Abby stood up and walked towards the bathroom. John followed right behind her. She didn't say anything as she picked up the test and saw the results.  
  
"Oh." John said, semi-disappointed as he looked over Abby's shoulder.  
  
"Sorry, guess it was just a false alarm." Abby said, throwing the stick into the trash can.  
  
"Well it's okay. We have plenty of time to have babies." Carter smiled.  
  
"Yeah." Abby nodded and washed her hands.  
  
"I have an idea. How about I go out and pick up Chinese food and bring it back here. I'll even stop and get a movie. It'll be nice. Our last non- hectic night."  
  
"That'd be great." Abby forced a smile. John walked into the kitchen to call the restaurant and place the order.  
  
"How bout beef and broccoli and chicken lo mein?" He called.  
  
"Huh? Sure, that's find."  
  
"I'll be right back, okay?" John said, as he grabbed his keys and headed out the door. "Call if you think of anything else you want."  
  
Abby sat down on her couch and turned on the television. She clicked the channel for the news and brought her legs into her chest, wrapped her arms around her legs and rested her chin on her knees. 


	11. Talking

I was way too tired to post last night. I sat and thought about whether I should make the effort, but in the end decided it wasn't worth it. So you get this chapter in the morning instead. No big loss. I wrote half this chapter about two days ago, but then I decided it was too short so I added more yesterday. Tell me what you think! I've had a really hectic week between trying to find a Halloween costume and dealing with my parents and school. I'll write a special Halloween chapter today and post it before the episode airs tomorrow. ( ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Hey." Carter said, walking into Abby's apartment a week later.  
  
"Hey." Abby responded as John leaned down and kissed the top of her head. "How was your shift?"  
  
"Pretty much uneventful. How was your day off?"  
  
"Uneventful."  
  
"What's on the tv?"  
  
"Trading Spaces." Abby smiled.  
  
"Oh." John yawned and sat down on the couch next to Abby.  
  
"Poor baby. Are you tired?" Abby asked, leaning against his shoulder.  
  
"Oww!!" John grimaced in pain.  
  
"What happened?" Abby asked, concerned.  
  
"My back."  
  
"Are you okay? Where does it hurt? I'll massage it."  
  
"No. It's fine."  
  
"Do you want me to get you an Advil?"  
  
"No, I'm fine, really." Carter insisted.  
  
"Turn around." Abby commanded, and he after a look, did.  
  
"Mmm.that feels good." John closed his eyes and moaned as Abby gently massaged his back. "You're hired."  
  
"You can't afford me." Abby smiled.  
  
"I'm sure I can find some way to repay you." John smirked and took Abby's hand and kissed it and then started working his way up her arm. This time it was Abby's turn to moan. Pretty soon, things were really heating up on the sofa and Abby was taking her shirt off.  
  
"Oww." John yelped as he turned to bring Abby's towards him.  
  
"That's it. I'm getting you an Advil." Abby shook her head and stood up. "You're in pain. This is ridiculous."  
  
Abby pulled John's shirt around her and walked into the kitchen. She pulled a glass down from a cabinet and filled it with water. Then she reached back into another cabinet and pulled the small container of tablets from it. Putting two in her hand, she put the container back away and grabbed the glass and walked back towards John. After dropping the pills into his hand, she sat down in the chair next to the sofa and plopped her legs over the side.  
  
"What?" Abby asked when she looked up from a daydream and saw Carter staring at her.  
  
"What did I do to deserve you?" John smiled as Abby fidgeted and tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear.  
  
"I'm going to bed." Abby said and yawned, changing the subject. John nodded and rubbed his lower back. As she reached the doorway to the bedroom, she turned and looked at John seductively. However, he didn't look up until he felt something hit him in the face and didn't realize what it was until he pulled it away from his face. His eyes got big and he looked towards Abby and saw her smile and disappear into the other room. John smiled and looked at the shirt in his hands then stood up and walked towards the bedroom. He peeked his head around the corner and laughed before joining Abby in the bed.  
  
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"Do you ever think about Mark?"  
  
"Yeah. When the ER gets hectic."  
  
"The ER is always hectic." Abby pointed out.  
  
"Hello.you asked me a question. You could at least let me finish."  
  
"Sorry." Abby pouted.  
  
"When the ER gets hectic." He paused for a moment and began to trace shapes on Abby's arm. "I remember my first day when I freaked out during a trauma. Mark followed me into the ambulance bay and what he told me calmed me down. I owe him everything in my life because he made me realize the real reason to become a doctor."  
  
"Do you think he knew how much everyone cared for him when he died?"  
  
"I think that he would feel exactly what Dr. Corday's letter said. He even denied being needed in the ER up until the very end."  
  
"Did you think he was going to die the first time last year?"  
  
"I hadn't really thought about it. Of course the possibility was always there, but it was different. He was different too. I can't explain it though, he just was. This time you knew it couldn't be good."  
  
"And it was so fast." Abby turned her head to lay on John's shoulder.  
  
"Yeah." Carter sighed. Then, kissing Abby's forehead quickly he said, "Let's talk about something happier."  
  
"Oh, I forgot to tell you. My mother called today."  
  
"How is she?"  
  
"She sounded fine. Almost normal, even."  
  
"She's taking her meds?"  
  
"Apparently." Abby rolled her eyes. "She's thinking about taking a vacation though."  
  
"Is she going to come here?" Abby nodded. "When?"  
  
"She's not sure yet. She hadn't really made any real plans."  
  
"But not for a little bit though right?"  
  
"Yeah, probably sometime next month."  
  
"You know, if she wants to go somewhere really nice for a vacation, I have a wonderful recommendation." Abby gave John a strange look. "Miami is quite nice this time of year."  
  
This comment made Abby roll her eyes and grab the nearest pillow and smack John with it. He grabbed the pillow as it swung towards him though, so it only hit with half the force intended.  
  
"You're going to get it for that." John said, getting rowdy. "I do fight back."  
  
"But I'm a girl."  
  
"I don't care." John raised his eyebrows and then sat still for a moment before lunging at Abby and starting to tickle her.  
  
"Aaaaaah! No fair! Stop stop stop. Ahh. John..Carter!!!" Abby was getting mad but laughing at the same time. John now had her almost totally pinned beneath him. An evil smile came across Abby's face as she came up with an idea and she suddenly reached behind him and lightly pinched his butt. He jumped about a foot in the air.  
  
"Ha." Abby stuck her tongue out.  
  
"That wasn't nice!"  
  
"Well you were tickling me."  
  
"I'm tired."  
  
"Me too."  
  
"Truce?" John asked, sticking out his hand to her.  
  
"Truce." Abby took it and they shook. John relaxed back down onto the bed and Abby curled in beside him.  
  
"Good night." John said and closed his eyes.  
  
"Good night." Abby responded as John's arm wrapped around her. Then she reached with her left arm and hit the switch to turn the bedside lamp off.  
  
"I love you." John murmured.  
  
"I love you too." Abby smiled at Carter and then she too closed her eyes and went to sleep. 


	12. Halloween

Okay, I know I said I'd have this posted before the episode, but I'm still good because I haven't actually seen the episode yet. I was out trick-or- treating and got back just in time to set my VCR and then get in the shower to get all my pink hair dye out of my hair. Now I'm working on this stupid essay that's due tomorrow in English. My english teacher was the only one who assigned any work for tonight so we're all mad at him. It's taking me forever to get it done because it's so boring and I'm so tired. You would think that after all the sugar I've had today I would be more awake.Apparently not..  
  
"Are you dressing up for Halloween?" John asked Abby as he was standing in the bathroom shaving.  
  
"Yeah." A voice called from the closet in the bedroom.  
  
"What are you going to be?"  
  
"I'm not telling you." Abby said mischievously.  
  
"Come on."  
  
"It's a surprise. Trust me, you'll like it. Are you going to dress up?"  
  
"I was thinking about it. Kerry's not working on Thursday so Randi is organizing a big party."  
  
"Randi? Organizing something?" Abby joked.  
  
"I know, I said the same thing." John smiled and washed his face off.  
  
"Are you going to come in with me?" Abby asked, coming into the bathroom and wrapping her arms around John's waist.  
  
"Of course. That way I get to see your costume before everyone else." John leaned around and kissed her.  
  
"I don't think so. It's already at the hospital. Susan is bringing it."  
  
"You told her, but you won't tell me?" John pouted.  
  
"Aww, poor Carter, no one tells him anything." Abby pouted along with him, but then started laughing. "You'll see it soon enough. Okay, I have to go. You coming or not?"  
  
"No, since you're not going to tell me, I'm not going to go with you."  
  
"Very mature." Abby said sarcastically.  
  
"See you later." John kissed her good-bye. After finishing up in the bathroom, he walked back into the bedroom and found his pants and a clean shirt. He and Abby had been balancing their time between her apartment and Gamma's house for the past couple of weeks. He wanted to ask her to just move in with him, but first of all he wasn't sure she'd do it and second of all, he wasn't sure she'd want to leave her apartment. It wasn't that he wanted her to move out of her apartment, but he needed to be near his grandmother. When he was finished getting dressed and cleaning up, he locked up Abby's apartment and headed towards the hospital. On the way, he stopped to pick up his own costume.  
  
As he walked through the doors to the ambulance bay, he could see that even though it was early, the ER was already packed. John remembered Abby saying how the ER is always hectic and smiled. Walking through the doors to the lounge, he noticed that there was a woman standing at one of the locker's with his back to her. He raised his eyebrows and then went to his locker. Suddenly, the woman turned around and Carter about had a heart attack.  
  
"I'm going to kill Susan."  
  
"What? You don't like it?"  
  
"No, I like it, believe me, I like it." Carter said, transfixing his eyes on Abby's fake cleavage.  
  
"Come on, it's not that bad." Abby said, closing her locker and starting to walk out the door.  
  
"Wait a minute. You're going out like that?" John put out his arm to block her from going anywhere.  
  
"Uh, yeah. It's my costume." Abby said, trying to move around him.  
  
"Oh no. Not with those." John said and pointed at her breasts, then feeling embarrassed, put his hands up in defense when Abby looked up at him.  
  
"Ooh, you're jealous." Abby smiled.  
  
"No I'm not." John crossed his arms.  
  
"It's okay. It's cute." She said giggling. Suddenly the doors opened and Susan came threw.  
  
"Does he like the costume?" Susan asked Abby.  
  
"No comment."  
  
"Well he says he does, but he's sure not acting like it." Abby ignored John.  
  
"He's weird."  
  
"Okay, first of all, I'm not weird. Second of all, I have to get to work."  
  
"He is sooo weird." Susan laughed after John left the room.  
  
"Yeah, but I think I'll keep him around for a while." Abby smiled.  
  
"I can't believe you guys have been together five months already."  
  
"I know." Abby blushed as she made her way to the door.  
  
"So are you doing anything special tonight?"  
  
"We hadn't really talked about it. I guess we'll go out for dinner somewhere. He has a long shift so I doubt he'll be home til late." Abby looked out the window and saw Kerry storming towards the lounge. "I thought Weaver wasn't on today."  
  
"Apparently she is." Susan said, joining Abby at the window. "Guess we better get out there."  
  
Kerry saw them as they stepped out of the door and screamed from across the hospital.  
  
"Just because it's Halloween doesn't mean people aren't sick. Get to work!"  
  
"It's going to be a long day, I just know it." Susan groaned and walked off to grab a chart. An ambulance pulled into the ambulance bay and the paramedics wheeled a gurney through the doors.  
  
"18 year old male. Fainted during class." Doris told Gallant.  
  
"Abby, are you coming?" Gallant called as he helped wheel the patient to an exam room. "Abby?"  
  
Abby looked up and then started towards the exam room. As she passed a trauma room, she glanced in and saw John working on an elderly woman. She pulled gloves on and continued towards Gallant.  
  
Please Review!!! 


	13. Chapter 13

I'm sorry if I didn't make it clear in the last chapter, Abby is intentionally a naughty nurse, instead of mistakenly a naughty nurse. I'm having a really busy week. I have Lion King tickets for tonight and John Mayer tickets for Thursday and a huge Spanish test tomorrow and exams in two weeks. Yuck. I hate exams. This chapter took a while to write because I kept getting stuck. The next part should be up either tonight or tomorrow because I already know what I want to have written so all I have to do is write it. Several of the chapters in the future will have spoilers for upcoming episodes that I have read, but since I'm not a psychic isn't probably exactly correct. If you don't want to know spoilers for episodes later in this season, you might not want to read the next chapter. This doesn't apply to this one as much, only the starts of it. Great, I've probably turned everyone away from reading now.good going. LOL. As always, please review!  
  
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"Are you off now?" Carter asked several hours later as Abby walked into the lounge.  
  
"Yeah, just finished my last patient." Abby sighed as she came towards where John was sitting at the table.  
  
"Girl who got shot?"  
  
"Yeah, she didn't make it." Abby wrapped her arms around Carter's neck and rested her chin on his head. John took her hands and kissed them.  
  
"Wanna get out of here?"  
  
"Mmm.yeah." Abby sighed.  
  
"How about coffee and a walk by the river?" Carter suggested.  
  
"It's cold outside!" Abby exclaimed.  
  
"Well then I'll keep you warm." John smiled.  
  
Ten minutes later, they left the hospital and walked across the street to the small diner.  
  
"Wait a minute, Luka and who?" John asked as they were coming out of the restaurant a while later, each with a cup of coffee in their hands.  
  
"Chuny. I know, I couldn't believe it either."  
  
"That just so."  
  
"Wrong?" Abby suggested.  
  
"I was going to say weird, but wrong works too."  
  
"Uch, can we change the subject now? I really don't want to think about all this." Abby shivered.  
  
"How long do you have that costume for?"  
  
"A couple days. Why?"  
  
"Because it looks really good on you and." Carter whispered something in her ear. Abby slapped him on the shoulder, but when she looked up at him she was blushing and smiling. She opened her mouth to say something, but all of a sudden there was a ring from her purse.  
  
"Hello?" Abby said, shoving her coffee at John and digging her phone from her purse and answering it.  
  
"No, we just went for a walk."  
  
"Well we are both off now." Abby rolled her eyes at John.  
  
"Why did she call there?"  
  
"Okay, I'll call her when I get home. Thanks Susan." Abby hung up.  
  
"What happened?" John asked.  
  
"Maggie called the hospital asking for me. She said it was important."  
  
"You're not going to call her now?"  
  
"No, I'll do it when we get home."  
  
"I wanted to talk to you about that." John said, after a moment.  
  
"Huh? About what?"  
  
"Us."  
  
"Oh." Abby's face fell slightly.  
  
"I wanted to know where we were." John looked into her eyes as they both sat down on the bench. "Well actually, I wanted to know if we're in the same place."  
  
"We're sitting here together aren't we?" Abby said, trying to lighten the mood that had suddenly become serious.  
  
John nodded then smiled. "We always end up here, I guess. This bench."  
  
Taking Abby's hand, he continued. "I love you. And I think we should take the next step."  
  
"Oh god, you're not proposing are you?"  
  
"Well if I was, you would be ruining the moment." Carter said, shaking his head. "I think we should move in together."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"All this shuffling from one place to another isn't good. It's too confusing and it would just make it easier if we had one place."  
  
"I agree." Abby smiled.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"It would be easier if we just had one place."  
  
"But." John said, sensing her hesitation.  
  
"But I like where I am right now. I like my apartment and I like my neighborhood."  
  
"I'm not asking you to give that up."  
  
"So we'd live at my place?" Abby noticed John's face. "We wouldn't live at my place?"  
  
"I have to be near my grandmother." John explained.  
  
"Oh. Well then I guess there's only one solution."  
  
"What's that?"  
  
"I'll have to move in with you."  
  
"But what about your apartment and your neighborhood?"  
  
"I like you more than I like both of them."  
  
"Well why didn't you tell me that from the beginning?"  
  
"I was leading you on." Abby smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck.  
  
"You know what, I don't think I like that costume anymore. It's making you act evil."  
  
"Naughty." Abby corrected and laughed as Carter leaned in and kissed her on the lips. 


	14. Chapter 14

I have had the busiest week of my life. Tuesday I went and saw Lion King and Thursday I went to see John Mayer. I also had to deal with school and homework and I've been a total insomniac and am exhausted. It's 1:15 am and I would go to sleep, but I'm at my aunt's house and I know I'll get to sleep late. I'm watching an old ER episode that I've seen a million times (The Domino Heart) and also watching a Real World marathon (yes, the inspiration for a chapter a couple weeks ago). So this is the fourteenth chapter. I've been getting frustrated with my writing lately. Well not my actual writing, just my brain while I'm trying to write. Hope you enjoy!! - Keep reviewing!  
  
The couple walked back to Abby's apartment with Carter's arms draped over her shoulder, holding her against him. When they reached her building, John opened the gate for her and then waited while she got her key out and put it into the door and opened it. She took John's hand and pulled him inside with her and she giggled as they walked up the flight of stairs to her floor. John noticed the man sitting outside her door before she did.  
  
"Abby." John said softly, and Abby followed his gaze.  
  
"Oh my god, Eric." Abby said, rushing over to her brother. "What's going on? How did you get in here?"  
  
He spoke so quietly that Abby had to lean in to hear what he was saying. She glanced back at John concerned then focused back on her brother.  
  
"Eric it's okay. Come on. Let's go inside." She unlocked her front door before pulling him up and into the apartment. John followed her and shut the door behind them. Once inside, Abby pulled off Eric's coat before taking off her own.  
  
"Do you want me to make a pot of coffee?" John asked, breaking the silence. Abby nodded in response. As he walked into the kitchen, Abby continued to console her brother. When Carter emerged holding two cups several minutes later, Abby gladly took them and while sipping from one, set the other on the table near Eric.  
  
"Eric, please tell me what happened." Abby pleaded.  
  
"No!" He said, getting angry. Abby placed her hand on his arm, but he shoved her away and swung his arm, knocking over the coffee mug and sending it flying off the table.  
  
"Oww." Abby said, as the hot liquid splashed onto her leg.  
  
"Are you okay?" Carter asked, rushing towards her.  
  
"Yeah." Abby winced and stood up.  
  
"Let me have a look. The coffee was just out of the pot."  
  
"No. I'm fine. Really." Abby insisted as she hobbled towards her bedroom. "I'm just going to change my pants."  
  
While Abby was changing, Carter tried to clean up the mess from the coffee. Just as he threw away the shards from the remains of the cup, Abby came back into the room.  
  
"Thanks." Abby sighed when she saw what John had done. Then she sat down on the sofa beside Eric. "You need to tell me what's wrong Eric, or I can't help you."  
  
"I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry Abby."  
  
"It's okay." She said as he wrapped his arms around her and started to cry. "It's okay."  
  
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"Is he asleep?" John asked about an hour later as they both sat on Abby's bed.  
  
"Yeah." Abby pressed her lips and nodded.  
  
"Did you call Maggie yet?" She shook her head.  
  
"No, but it's too late now. I'll do it in the morning." Abby said while pulling her shirt off and putting on a sweatshirt.  
  
"Okay." John said, getting under the covers. "It's getting cold outside. It could start snowing anyday."  
  
"It's only the beginning of November. We have at least another couple of weeks." Abby frowned and joined John in the bed. Shivering, she moved closer to him and he wrapped one arm behind her neck and used the other hand to grasp Abby's hand.  
  
"I can't deal with all this right now." Abby sighed and closed her eyes.  
  
"This whole thing with your brother will work itself out." John said, kissing her head softly.  
  
"It's not just that. It's my life. It's the hospital and being nurse manager and Luka." Abby stopped.  
  
"Oh." John said.  
  
"What?" Abby questioned, sensing the anger in his voice.  
  
"Nothing." Abby thought for a moment before wiggling out of John's embrace and walking into the bathroom and shutting the door. Carter shook his head then followed her.  
  
"Abby." He knocked on the door. "Abby open the door."  
  
He noticed the door wasn't locked and slowly opened it. He walked in, saw Abby, and shut it behind him.  
  
"Do you understand that it's not that I don't trust you? It's that I don't trust him." John said, sitting down on the floor next to her. She had her arms wrapped around her legs and her chin was on top of her arms. As John spoke, Abby started to cry. At first she tried to stop, but she couldn't control herself and started sobbing. John quickly put his arms around her and pulled her into his chest. As she cried, he held her and kissed her. "I'm sorry."  
  
"It's not your fault." She hiccupped. Carter smiled.  
  
"God I love you." John kissed the top of her head. "I think I first realized it when we were driving in that car to Oklahoma. I looked over at you and you were sitting there and you were upset and stressed out and I thought about how beautiful you were."  
  
"You don't mean that." Abby wiped her eyes with her hand.  
  
"Yes I do." John took her hand with one of his and wiped away a tear with his other hand. "Would I have gone with you then if I didn't? Would I be sitting here now if I didn't? I love you Abby."  
  
"Can we go to bed now?" John said after a minute and stood up and offered Abby his hand. Abby took it and stood up and kissed John passionately on the mouth.  
  
"Your brother is in the next room." Carter said after they broke apart.  
  
"I know." Abby finally smiled and looked at their still intertwined hands. "Come on."  
  
With that, she led him back to the bed. 


End file.
